Multiposition windshield lifting attachment

ABSTRACT

For replacement of automotive windshields by aftermarket installers, two mirror image grips have a curved tubular handle which is welded to a sheet metal base with two legs which are at an obtuse angle to one another. The curved handle allows smooth repositioning of an installer&#39;s hands as the large windshield is shifted into position on the automobile; the obtuse angle base provides sufficient clearance for the full range of hand positions. Each leg of the sheet metal base is positioned to abut against an installer&#39;s hand during different stages of windshield lifting, i.e. when the windshield is vertical, and when it is inverted and horizontal. The grips are used to lift and position a windshield with a bead of urethane thereon into the pinch weld of the automobile.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to suction cup grip assemblies in general,and in particular to apparatus for engaging and gripping automobilewindshields for removal and replacement.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Much attention is paid in automobile design and manufacture to provideautomobile windshields which provide good visibility and field of viewto the driver, while at the same time contributing to the attractiveappearance of the automobile. Modern automotive designs tend toward thecurvaceous, and windshields have reflected this trend, utilizingcompound curves in a single wide pane. Although automobile windshieldsare durable and subject to very little degradation from erosion orcorrosion, impacts from road debris, tree branches, or minor or majorcollisions can crack or rapture the windshield. Small cracks may berepaired with sealant or crack fillers. Larger cracks, however, requirereplacement of the entire windshield as a unit.

Windshield replacement is undertaken by installers throughout thecountry. Because it is considered an infraction of traffic codes in manylocalities to operate a vehicle with a severely damaged windshield, mostwindshield replacements are made in close vicinity to the scene ofwindshield damage. Often installers in mobile vans will bring thereplacement windshield to the damaged car, and will remove the damagedwindshield and install a new one while the car is parked on the street.

There is thus a premium placed on making windshield installation a taskwhich may be accomplished by a single installer with limited equipment.

Suction cup grips have long been used for engaging and moving largesheets of glass. Suction handles for planar plate glass typically havetwo suction cups with a straight bar between them. These handles permitone installer, or two when the glass sheet is especially large, to lift,position, and install a sheet of flat glass. However, automobilewindshield installation presents demands not encountered by plate glassinstallers. Because the automobile hood in nearly all cases extendsfrontwardly from beneath the windshield, access to the glass opening ismuch more difficult. To reach the opening an installer, while stillsupporting the windshield, must bend forward over the hood.

In one common mode of installation, a urethane bead of insulation andadhesive is extruded along the pinchweld defining the windshieldsurround, and the windshield is positioned thereon. In this method,installers have tended to grip the windshield directly. Commonly,aftermarket windshield installation has been accomplished by aninstaller who grips the windshield directly, applies one edge of thewindshield to the adhesive bead in the pinch weld, and then releases thewindshield and presses it into place. This mode of installation,however, leaves open the possibility that a tight seal with the glasswill not be obtained at all points. Applying sealant directly to thewindshield would provide an effective seal, but would no longer allow aninstaller to grip the windshield directly with his fingers. Whenhandling automobile windshields weighing 50-60 pounds, an installer mustbe able to maneuver the glass at various different angles andorientations, requiring constant repositioning of the grips as theposition of the installer changes.

What is needed is a device which will allow an automobile windshieldinstaller to securely and adjustably grip the windshield, while allowingadhesive to be applied around the rear of the windshield and therebyallowing effective installation of the windshield in a safe andconvenient manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The windshield attachment apparatus of this invention includes twogripping apparatus for handling windshields during replacement of anautomobile's windshield. The apparatus has two mirror image hand grips,each with a suction cup for attachment to the windshield. A vacuum pumpis connected to the suction cup, and may be manually worked to withdrawair from between the suction cup and the windshield. A handle member hasa bottom plate that is connected to the suction cup, and an archedportion that is fitted around and positions the vacuum pump. A flangeplate extends from the handle member bottom plate at an angle greaterthan 90°, preferably about 100°. A tubular hand grip is positioned overthe vacuum pump and extends between the support plate and the flangeplate. The tubular handle is curved to allow the operator's hand to beshifted and oriented comfortably in a variety of positions withoutinterference during the installation of an automobile windshield. Theflange plate allows an installer's hand to abut for application oflifting forces when the windshield is vertical. The support plate allowsan installer's hand to abut for lifting when the windshield is invertedand horizontal. By using the surface mounting grips of this invention,an adhesive and insulative bead may be applied directly to thewindshield, rather than to the automobile pinchweld, and thus animproved seal may be obtained.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a windshield liftinggrip which transfers lifting loads comfortably to an installer's handwhen lifting both a horizontal and a vertical windshield.

It is a further feature of the present invention to provide a windshieldinstallation tool which will permit an installer to replicate factoryquality installation of windshields by enabling the installer to placeurethane directly on the windshield during installation.

It is another feature of the present invention to provide a grippingassembly that allows the operator to constantly and comfortablyreposition the placement of his hands during installation ofwindshields.

It is also a feature of the present invention to provide a compactwindshield grip which fully accommodates the hands of an installer.

Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following detailed description when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a right-hand windshield glassinstallation grip of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the grip of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a left-hand grip of this invention.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the grip of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a technician installing a windshieldusing the grips of FIGS. 2 and 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1-5, wherein like numbers refer tosimilar parts, windshield glass installation grips 10, 11 for grippingan automobile windshield 21 are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Two mirror-imagegrips are provided for installation of a windshield, a right-hand grip10, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and a left-hand grip 11, shown in FIG. 3.Each grip 10, 11, has a resilient suction cup 12 which is attached to arigid handle assembly 18 with a connected manual vacuum pump 24. The twogrips 10, 11, are identical except for the positioning of the actuationpiston 28 of the vacuum pump 24. In each case, the piston 28 ispositioned to be operated by an installer's thumb while the fingersengage the grip. The further detailed description of the right-hand grip10 also applies to the left-hand grip 11.

The suction cup 12 has an upper attachment wall 14 and a downwardlyopening concave skin 13 having an edge 15 that forms a vacuum seal withthe surface of a windshield 21. The suction cup 12 preferably has atleast one flexible tab 16, shown in FIG. 2, which extends outwardly fromthe skirt 13 above the edge 15 to assist in breaking the vacuum seal andremoving the installation grip 10 from the surface of a windshield. Anexemplary suction cup and manual vacuum pump are those available fromWood's Powr-Grip Co., Inc. of Laurel, Mont., under model number TL6.

The handle assembly 18 is comprised of bent steel plate handle member 17which is welded to a steel tubular handle 34. The handle member 17 isbent into two sections, a support plate 22, and a flange plate 20. Thesuction cup 12 is connected to the support plate 22 of the handle member17, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The support plate 22 extends generallyparallel to the suction cup attachment wall 14, and is held in placewith respect to the suction cup 12 by four screws 23. The screws 23extend through slots 25 to accommodate some dimensional variations inthe connected parts. The flange plate 20 extends upwardly from thesupport plate 22 at an angle of greater than 90°. In a preferredembodiment, this angle is approximately 100°. The obtuse angle of theflange plate 20 gives increased space for an installer's fingers betweenthe flange plate 20 and the curved tubular handle 34 which extendsbetween the support plate 22 and the flange plate 20. For improvedgripping, the tubular handle 34 is preferably formed of tubing which isat least one inch in diameter.

A volume 27 is defined between the handle 34 and the handle member 17into which an installer's fingers may extend. As shown in FIG. 1, themanual vacuum pump 24 is attached to the attachment wall 14 of thesuction cup 12. The vacuum pump 24 is formed with a suction hole, notshown, through the suction cup 12, for removing air from the suction cup12 when it is placed against the surface of a windshield 21. A piston 28is attached to the vacuum pump 24 and projects out through a sidewaysopening of the vacuum pump 24. By pumping the piston 28 in and out, theair from within the suction cup is exhausted, with the result that theatmospheric pressure exceeds the pressure within the cup 12, and thegrip is thereby held in place on the windshield.

As shown in FIG. 2, the handle member 17 support plate 22 has an archedportion 32 that is fitted around and positions the vacuum pump 24. Thearched portion 32 allows the vacuum pump 24 to be positioned in closeproximity to the attachment wall 14 of the suction cup 12, therebyhelping to insure a proper seal between the vacuum pump 24 and thesuction cup 12. The curved, tubular handle 34 extends over the vacuumpump 24 from the flange plate 20 of the handle member 17 to the supportplate 22. The hand grip 34 is shaped so that the installer may easilyreposition the orientation of his grip.

The installation grips 10, 11 of this invention enable the installationof automobile windshields in a fashion which more nearly duplicates theappearance and function of a factory installed windshield. In prior artafter market installation techniques, a urethane bead of caulk orsealant was placed on the pinchweld forming the windshield surroundframe. Due to the variations inherent in metal assembly techniques, thevehicle pinch weld is invariably uneven, making it difficult to obtain asmooth and continuously adhered bead of sealant. A constant bead isimportant both to prevent water infiltration into the vehicle throughthe windshield/frame seam, and to reduce the amount of outside noisewhich can enter the vehicle. Furthermore, holding the windshielddirectly by its edges, and positioning it in a single step would oftenresult in deformation of the pinch weld bead of sealant in undesirableways.

Using the grips 10, 11 of this invention, an installer would firstposition the grips on a windshield 21, one grip close to the installer,and one about half way across the windshield. Pumping the manual vacuumpumps, the suction cups are then caused to adhere to the smooth surfaceof the windshield. Taking the grips in hand, the windshield is invertedand positioned on a supporting surface, for example two saw horses. Therear surface of the windshield is then ready for application of theurethane sealant bead. Preferably starting along a side of thewindshield, to avoid any break in the line of caulk along the top of thewindshield, the urethane is applied in a continuous bead. If twoapplications of urethane are required to encircle the windshield, thejoint between the two beads is made as seamless as possible.

When installing the windshield with the applied sealant bead, a pad 36is positioned on the hood of the vehicle on which the installer placeshis elbow during placement of the windshield into the pinch weld of theautomobile. The pad 36 is used as a pivot point on the hood of anautomobile. The windshield is adjusted in position with the load carriedprimarily on the vehicle hood through the pad, and thus without dentingthe hood. At the same time, excess strain on the installer's back isavoided, by removing a portion of the load. The pad 36 allows theoperator to approach the vehicle in a more controlled and comfortablemanner by enabling him to pause and review the layout of the windshieldwith respect to the frame while the windshield is supported on the hoodof the automobile through his elbow. The installer may coordinate theposition of the windshield with any guide marks he may wish to place onthe frame, and then bring the windshield into engagement with the pinchweld in a motion which runs nearly perpendicular to the pinch weld allaround the windshield, thereby achieving a consistent bead seam betweenthe windshield and the automobile.

By placing the urethane directly on the glass and using the window glassinstallation grips and pad, the installer has more control when droppingand centering the window in place. This control eliminates the guessworkassociated with determining where the urethane has been placed in thepinch weld. By placing the urethane bead on the window in a v-seal thatis tapered toward the body of the vehicle, the narrow portion of thebead makes contact with the pinch weld. By being able to adjust his gripin the handle of the installation grips 10, 11, and by using the pad asa pivot point, the installer is able to easily center the windshield andallow the urethane to make contact with the automobile body at theproper angle for a seal which more nearly matches OEM specifications.

Each portion of the handle assembly 18 is configured to suit therequirements of the installer at some point in the installation process.When lifting the windshield vertically off a support, for example whenremoving it from the sawhorses, the installer's fingers are grippedalong the portion of the curved tubular handle which is generallyparallel to the support plate. However, as the installer pivots thewindshield to change its orientation from lying in a horizontal plane tolying in a generally vertical plane, his hands move along the tubularhandle 34 to abut the flange plate 20. Abutted against the flange plate20, the user's hand can apply a solid lifting force. Yet because theflange plate is positioned at 100° to the support plate 22, it tends toretain the installers fingers around the handle 34, rather than allowingthem to move forward under the weight of the windshield 21. In settingthe windshield on the saw horse supports prior to applying the urethanebead, the installer also makes use of the curved section of the tubularhandle 34 where it abuts the support plate 20. In setting the windshielddown in a horizontal orientation, the installer must invert his grip,and his fingers will then abut against the support plate 20 with theload of the windshield then being above the grips 10, 11, pressing down.

It should be understood that, although the grip of this invention hasbeen shown as formed of a steel plate, aluminum, plastic or othermaterial of sufficient strength may also be employed.

It is understood that the invention is not limited to the particularconstruction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described,but embraces such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of thefollowing claims.

We claim:
 1. A device for engaging an automobile windshield foraftermarket installation in an automobile, the device comprising;a) asingle resilient suction cup having an edge for forming an air tightseal with an automobile windshield; b) a means for extracting the airfrom between the suction cup and an engaged automobile windshield tothereby form a differential pressure seal between the cup and thewindshield; c) a rigid handle member to which the suction cup is fixed,wherein the handle member has a support plate which extends generallyparallel to the cup, and a flange plate which extends upwardly from thecup, wherein the angle defined between the support plate and the flangeplate is greater than 90°; and d) a curved tubular handle which extendsfrom the support plate to the flange plate, wherein a volume is definedbetween the handle and the handle member for the reception therein ofthe fingers of an installer, and the curvature of the handle therebypermits the repositioning of the fingers of an installer along thehandle as the orientation of the device changes with the position of theautomobile windshield with respect to the body of the installer in thecourse of the installation of the windshield.
 2. The device of claim 1wherein the means for extracting air is connected beneath the supportplate, and wherein the support plate extends toward the handle over themeans for extracting air to provide clearance for said means forextracting air.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein the angle between thesupport plate and the flange plate is approximately 100°.
 4. The deviceof claim 1 wherein the tubular handle is approximately one inch indiameter to facilitate gripping of the device by the fingers of aninstaller.
 5. A multiposition grip for engaging, transporting andoperating on an automobile windshield in both a generally horizontal anda generally vertical orientation, the grip comprising;a) a singleresilient suction cup having an edge for forming an air tight seal withan automobile windshield; b) a pump connected for extracting air frombetween the suction cup and an engaged automobile windshield to therebyform a differential pressure seal between the cup and the windshield; c)a rigid handle member to which the suction cup is fixed, wherein thehandle member has a support plate which extends generally parallel tothe cup, and a flange plate which extends upwardly from the cup, whereinthe flange plate extends at an angle greater than about 90° to thesupport plate; and d) a curved tubular handle engages with the supportplate and with the flange plate, to thereby define two grip abutmentpositions, a first grip abutment position against the flange plate whichengages with the gripping hand of an installer when an attachedwindshield is being supported in a generally vertical orientation, and asecond grip abutment position against the support plate which engageswith the gripping hand of an installer when the attached windshield isbeing supported in an inverted, generally horizontal orientation, thecurvature of the tubular handle thereby permitting the repositioning ofthe hand of an installer along the handle as the orientation of the gripchanges with the position of the automobile windshield with respect tothe body of the installer in the course of the installation of thewindshield.
 6. The grip of claim 5 wherein the angle between the supportplate and the flange plate is approximately 100°.
 7. The grip of claim 5wherein the tubular handle is approximately one inch in diameter tofacilitate gripping of the device by the fingers of an installer.